THE ARAB world's reaction to US cruise missile attacks on Iraq was mixed, with some countries saying the strikes violated Iraq's sovereignty and raised tension in the Middle East.
Most Gulf Arab states, including Washington's biggest regional ally Saudi Arabia, did not react officially, while Egypt and Jordan were concerned the action could spawn further violence, and Syria and Libya condemned the attacks.
Kuwait, invaded by Iraq in 1990, expressed "full understanding" with the attack. Kuwaitis were happy with the attack and said they wanted to see President Saddam Hussein toppled.
Mr Amr Moussa, Egypt's foreign minister, said: "We are really disturbed and concerned about the situation in Iraq, and we hope the Iraqi people will be spared the rigours of the use of force."
The US attack put Arab leaders in a difficult position. They cannot openly support Mr Saddam's regime, but at the same time they cannot stay silent, for Arab popular opinion demands support for an Arab brother right or wrong.
Mr Esmat Abdel Meguid, secretary general of the Arab League, said the attack was "an infringement of an Arab country's sovereignty". At the Arab summit in June, leaders opposed any policy that threatened Iraq's territorial integrity.
Syria's foreign ministry said yesterday the attacks constituted a threat to the unity of Iraq and its regional safety and increased the suffering of the Iraqi people.
Mr Shafic Gabr, president of the Egyptian-American Chamber of Commerce, said the US strikes "played into the hands of extremists who wish to derail the Middle East peace process", and warned that "the lack of movement in the peace process is going to create more dislocations in other parts of the region."
Palestinian leaders deemed the US action "unnecessary aggression". Other Palestinian officials expressed concern that the US action against Iraq - and its virtual silence on the Israeli decision to expand Jewish settlements - would undermine the US role as a sponsor of the peace process.
Israel issued messages of calm to its citizens. Nevertheless, the action conjured memories of the Gulf war when Scud missile attacks made Israelis huddle in sealed rooms with gas masks, fearing a chemical attack.
Some Israelis queued at distribution centres anyway, renewing gas masks or obtaining ones for children who were born after the Gulf war.